I was going to post this in the Camp Confidential thread, but I didn't feel like it was totally on topic, so I decided it deserved its own thread.

I definitely get the feeling that the Skins believe in Jim Zorn, it seems like everyone is responding to him and Cooley said that everyone believes in him.

I heard a great quote about pitching once that I think can apply to pretty much anything: "If you act like you belong, other people will start to believe you belong and then you will believe that they believe you belong." I really think that Zorn feels like he belongs in his head coaching role, I also think his players think he belongs and I don't think it will be long before the rest of the league starts to realize that he belongs.

I really don't know why, I'm normally very cautiously optimistic when it comes to the Redskins. They've broken my heart a few too many times, however, I will not lie, I have a huge man crush on Jim Zorn. I think it's because we're finally in a situation where we didn't chase the big name and make the big hire. Zorn could actually have a Bill Cowher like tenure here, he's a guy who could coach for the next 10 years and it's probably been since Norv (ugh) since that was a real possibility. Everyone knew that Marty, Spurrier and Gibbs weren't in it for the long haul.

I get all warm and fuzzy when I think about Zorn and Campbell bring back a winning tradition to back Washington. I would love to see something like 7 out of 10 years in the playoffs and a Super Bowl ring or two. I finally feel like this team has found long term solutions at HC and QB and I couldn't be more excited about that.

I want to end by saying, that I really appreciate what Joe Gibbs did for this team. While I was, overall, not too totally impressed with his tenure, one thing he did was bring back a pride to this team that I feel like was lacking under Schottenhiemer and Spurrier. Gibbs definitely turned the team around, I do wish he had been able to bring a title back to Washington, but I'm hoping Zorn can pick up where he left off and finish the job. I also love his approach to Campbell, the thought that his success is tied to Zorn and if Campbell plays poorly, it seems that Zorn will take that as a personal failure.

Mattyk

08-08-2008 10:14 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

Good take.

Of course it's very early, but I too have a good feeling about JZ.

I think it's starting to become clear why Snyder and Vinny went with Zorn. There definitely was a method to their madness.

mredskins

08-08-2008 10:34 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

I feel like every year around this time we are so pumped for the up coming season but a lot of it is propaganda. I am really not trying to be a Debbie Downer but this is the time of year where teams try to make you think they are going to be so awesome.

I agree JZ looks like a nice guy but in reality what could he have done at this point to make us think he is going to suck. Really nothing he has had no opportunities.

If you you read anything on Redskins.com and get pumped you are fooling yourself. I actually avoid that web site.

Mattyk

08-08-2008 10:39 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

We don't have much to go on but for me it's just the sniff test. When Spurrier was here I think a lot of us, myself included, ignored a lot of the red flags that were so obvious looking back now. I'm not seeing any major red flags so far with Zorn. He seems well organized, his attitude is calm, cool, and collected, and the feedback so far coming out of Redskins Park seems to be genuinely positive from the players side. Of course we're going to learn a lot once the bullets are live, but right now Zorn seems to have a promising future.

Miller101

08-08-2008 10:51 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[QUOTE=mredskins;462716]I feel like every year around this time we are so pumped for the up coming season but a lot of it is propaganda. I am really not trying to be a Debbie Downer but this is the time of year where teams try to make you think they are going to be so awesome.

I agree JZ looks like a nice guy but in reality what could he have done at this point to make us think he is going to suck. Really nothing he has had no opportunities.

If you you read anything on Redskins.com and get pumped you are fooling yourself. I actually avoid that web site.[/QUOTE]

This team is different then thoughs of years past. We don't have Danny Wuerfull or Jeff George as our quarterbacks. We don't have Rod Gardner or Michael Westbrook as our recievers. We don't have a former Cowboy offensive coordinator as our head coach. We don't have a college system in place at the NFL Level.

Its different dude. It took a Hall of Fame head coach to make it different too!

Don't get me wrong. I hear where you are coming from, but you have to see that this team is a different one. As Gibbs said when he was stepping down, "I don't want to say anything that will get the next coach in trouble, but we have the things in place here to do the things that we want to do." (its a loose quote).

saden1

08-08-2008 10:57 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

lol...not to be a buzz killer with respect to this Zorn love fest but I felt Steve Spurrier belonged.

firstdown

08-08-2008 11:01 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[quote=mredskins;462716]I feel like every year around this time we are so pumped for the up coming season but a lot of it is propaganda. I am really not trying to be a Debbie Downer but this is the time of year where teams try to make you think they are going to be so awesome.

I agree JZ looks like a nice guy but in reality what could he have done at this point to make us think he is going to suck. Really nothing he has had no opportunities.

If you you read anything on Redskins.com and get pumped you are fooling yourself. I actually avoid that web site.[/quote]
Well the product he put on the field last Sunday in such a short time showed that the team was well coached up this point. I'm not saying that because we won but because of the little things that all players even the scrubs showed. We did not have the confusion on the side lines and getting plays in, guys seemed to be on the same page, few penalties and most came latter with the scrubs, 3 starting QB's had two incompletions etc... While on the subject of only two imcomplete passes. QB's have two imcompletions in practice when they are just running plays with no D so even if they had the scrubs on D thats still great work. I'm not saying that he is going to be a great coach from one preseason game but the signs were there that he is doing a great job so far.

hesscl34

08-08-2008 11:03 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[quote=firstdown;462732]Well the product he put on the field last Sunday in such a short time showed that the team was well coached up this point. I'm not saying that because we won but because of the little things that all players even the scrubs showed. We did not have the confusion on the side lines and getting plays in, guys seemed to be on the same page, few penalties and most came latter with the scrubs, 3 starting QB's had two incompletions etc... While on the subject of only two imcomplete passes. QB's have two imcompletions in practice when they are just running plays with no D so even if they had the scrubs on D thats still great work. I'm not saying that he is going to be a great coach from one preseason game but the signs were there that he is doing a great job so far.[/quote]

I'll agree about the product he put on the field last Sunday. He did very well, and it was impressive, so far.

jdlea

08-08-2008 11:23 AM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[QUOTE=saden1;462729]lol...not to be a buzz killer with respect to this Zorn love fest but I felt Steve Spurrier belonged.[/QUOTE]

I liked Spurrier too, but from the beginning I could tell he didn't have what it takes to win in the NFL. His lines about not burning the midnight oil, his decisions about adding guys who had disappointed in the pros, but played for him at Florida. There is a much different feel from Zorn.

I'm not saying that this team is going to do great on the field this year, I'm saying I'm excited for the future. It may *gasp* actually take more than one year for Zorn to really get it going, but I think he has all the makings of a very good NFL coach.

I've said it in pretty much every preseason that I don't expect much from this team. I didn't think Gibbs was going to lead them to the playoffs either year that he did, but I didn't think it was out of the question. If you asked me to lock down a percentage on a Super Bowl any year Gibbs was hear I would have said maybe 5-10. Do I believe their chances are better with Zorn this year? No, but I do believe that if he stays here and develops as a head coach then he could be something special.

I feel like Zorn's enthusiam for the game could be what has me jacked up. He just feels like a great coach to me. I don't think he's an imposter masquerading as a great head coach (Spurrier) or somebody's who's a little bit too stuck in his ways to truly be successful in the NFL. (I feel like Gibbs never fully handed the reins to Saunders and everyone's comments about the offense under Zorn seems to suggest the same.)

So, I guess what I'm saying is pardon me for finally being optimistic about the direction of this team. We FINALLY have a young, energized head coach who seems to want to work at building something here. And IF he's successful, he could be here for a long time. There's a QB in place who could become a franchise quarterback and we can stop relying on stop gaps like a Brunell or Todd Collins. Those are [B]the[/B] two biggest pieces, imo, needed to build a consistent winner.

I think most of my enthusiasm comes from actually having a long term future with this team, rather a bunch of "win now, won't be here in 2 year" players and coaches playing significant roles.

redskinjim

08-08-2008 12:10 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

spurrier had no quarterback zorn has 2. collins is a cool sucker thank god we kept him in case jason gets hurt or sucks.Here comes our dynasty and its about freaking time.the team that joe built is going to impress.REMEMBER POUNDING THE GIANTS AT HOME LAST YEAR.REMEMBER POUNDING DALLAS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.OUR TEAM REMEMBERS!!

hesscl34

08-08-2008 12:14 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[quote=redskinjim;462802]spurrier had no quarterback zorn has 2. collins is a cool sucker thank god we kept him in case jason gets hurt or sucks.Here comes our dynasty and its about freaking time.the team that joe built is going to impress.REMEMBER POUNDING THE GIANTS AT HOME LAST YEAR.REMEMBER POUNDING DALLAS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.OUR TEAM REMEMBERS!![/quote]

HAIL!!

freddyg12

08-08-2008 12:39 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

I feel pretty good about Zorn & the team too, but to me 8-8 would be a successful 1st year for him in all fairness. It's the toughest division top to bottom, he's new, the system's new, GW's gone, etc. I think it's reasonable to feel really good about zorn while not predicting much beyond a mediocre team.

I don't know how much can be gained by comparing him to spurrier. The biggest difference is that zorn has coached for years in the nfl, just not been a head coach or OC. Spurrier's problems amounted to mgmt., he simply didn't have control & respect.

Looking back of course there were red flags w/the ole ball coach, but tell me you weren't excited when he won early? Or when we opened his 2nd year at 3-1 after beating the Pats?

At a couple points in time he had the team looking up, then as the 03 season went on they just tanked & almost seemed to give up. That can & does happen to nfl coaches w/experience too. It's entirely possible that it could happen to Zorn. I don't see that happening any time soon because the team's direction and overall stability has improved exponentially after Gibbs II, this is a much different organization than it was 5 years ago.

jsarno

08-08-2008 01:17 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[QUOTE=Miller101;462727]This team is different then thoughs of years past. We don't have Danny Wuerfull or Jeff George as our quarterbacks.[/quote]

True, instead we have a young qb that hasn't proven anything at all. (granted he has potential but that's what people thought of Danny Wuerffel being a "system" qb). Jeff George was the vet like Collins is. Not all dissimilar.

[quote]We don't have Rod Gardner or Michael Westbrook as our recievers. [/quote]
No, but we do have an extremely underachieving Santana Moss (or he was an overachiever in the past showing his true colors now), and Randle El who is getting paid like a #1 performing like #3. Again, not all that dissimilar.

[quote]We don't have a former Cowboy offensive coordinator as our head coach.[/quote]

Nope, instead, we have an OC that has no OC experience.

[quote]We don't have a college system in place at the NFL Level.[/quote]

No, instead we have a guy running the show that has never done anything more than be a QB coach at the NFL level. Spurrier was supposed to be a QB Genius, Zorn is a QB guru. Again, not all dissimilar.

[quote]Its different dude. It took a Hall of Fame head coach to make it different too! [/quote]

Of course it's different, it's many years later, but it's similar in the way that we (the fans) are approaching this season. Unrelenting optimism.
Don't get me wrong...I am there too saying all the right things, because I am hoping they all come true. I am not trying to be a "debbie downer" either, but I was admittedly a HUGE...MASSIVE Spurrier fan...that is until he actually started the season. Then I figured "he'd get it", and of course he didn't. I stayed on that bandwagon until the wheels fell off and it caught on fire, and ultimately blew up into a million pieces. That being said, I am on the Zorn bandwagon, but I am not steering the wagon at all.
I like our team, but I am not thinking we are a lock for anything. I've heard players talk about "they love the system", or "we are looking good this year" only to come out and suck. We are exactly 1 preseason game into the Zorn tenure people. I love the optimism, I really do, that's what makes us Redskins fans all alike, but can we please wait until we see Zorn when it matters before we give him the key to the city?

jsarno

08-08-2008 01:28 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[QUOTE=jdlea;462764]I liked Spurrier too, but from the beginning I could tell he didn't have what it takes to win in the NFL. His lines about not burning the midnight oil, his decisions about adding guys who had disappointed in the pros, but played for him at Florida. There is a much different feel from Zorn.[/quote]

For as much as I point out Spurrier vs Zorn, there is a huge, glaring difference with the two. Spurrier wanted to be a trailblazer and he didn't even try to reinvent the wheel, he tried to create something that would replace the wheel. Meanwhile, Zorn is trying to maximize what works in the NFL while putting his own spice on it. Spurrier was arrogant, while Zorn is an avid observer. So while there are other similarities between the two, I do not feel they are even remotely the same, and I feel Zorn has a lot more potential to succeed. (not saying you are saying that jdlea, just using your post as a spring board to my points, completely unrelated, in all I agree with you).

jdlea

08-08-2008 01:48 PM

Re: I believe Zorn belongs

[QUOTE=jsarno;462823]For as much as I point out Spurrier vs Zorn, there is a huge, glaring difference with the two. Spurrier wanted to be a trailblazer and he didn't even try to reinvent the wheel, he tried to create something that would replace the wheel. Meanwhile, Zorn is trying to maximize what works in the NFL while putting his own spice on it. Spurrier was arrogant, while Zorn is an avid observer. So while there are other similarities between the two, I do not feel they are even remotely the same, and I feel Zorn has a lot more potential to succeed. (not saying you are saying that jdlea, just using your post as a spring board to my points, completely unrelated, in all I agree with you).[/QUOTE]

Actually, that's pretty much what I was trying to say. Zorn isn't coming here saying, "I'm going to set the world on fire." I think he probably has some pretty reasonable goals for this season.

Look, I'm not predicting playoffs. (although I wouldn't be shocked, in the NFL difference between 6-10 and 10-6 is no longer that drastic) I'm merely saying that I'm optimistic for the future of this team for the first time in a long time. We have a QB with [B]potential[/B] and a coach with [B]potential[/B] and that's what has me excited. They could become special and it could be sustained, not short runs and then a need to rebuild the whole team and coaching staff.